College Football: Norristown's Robey moves to head of the class at Temple

PHILADELPHIA — Though Mother Nature played havoc with the early portion of Temple’s spring football schedule, enthusiasm is running high under first-year head coach Matt Rhule.

A popular choice to take over for the departed Steve Addazio, Rhule is a familiar face on the Temple campus. The 38-year-old former Penn State linebacker spent six years as an assistant under Al Golden and Addazio before spending last season as an offensive line assistant for the New York Giants. He served in several capacities in his first go-round with the Owls, including offensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator.

Rhule, who was hired in December, gets to put his stamp on a team that is coming off a 4-7 showing. He wants the Owls to compete every moment they are on the field; simply working hard is not enough.

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“It’s about the concept of being really competitive and winning,” he said. “Sometimes our guys here have a mindset of hard work and grinding, but everybody works hard. We want guys to go out and try to win every single rep and every drill.”

On offense, Rhule wants to develop a passing game that can make a difference. With Bernard Pierce, Matt Brown and Montel Harris toting the pigskin in recent seasons for the Owls, little emphasis was placed on putting the ball in the air. The Owls averaged 121 yards per game through the air in 2012, which ranked 120th among 124 Football Bowl Subdivision programs.

Chris Coyer started the first nine games at quarterback last season and Clinton “Juice” Granger the last two. They will be seniors in the fall and are the leading candidates among hopeful starters, but Rhule has numbers at this position and they are all getting a look.

“It brings out the best in everyone when you have to compete,” said Coyer, who threw for 946 yards, ran for 444 and totaled 10 touchdowns last season. “I think the morale of the receiving corps and everyone kind of went up when (Rhule) came in and said we are going to throw the ball around a little bit. It’s very exciting.”

On the other side of scrimmage, Rhule would like to see the defense ramp it up as far as its aggressiveness. To help in that regard Rhule brought in former Owls standout and current Detroit Lions linebacker Tahir Whitehead to speak to the unit about the need to re-gain the edge that was a hallmark during the team’s final couple of seasons in the Mid-American Conference.

“We have to get back to being a really physical and tough team,” said Rhule. “We are going to do that this spring. We are going to build that back up on defense.”

One player that is determined to have an impact in any resurgence is cornerback Anthony Robey, who was recruited by Rhule out of Norristown High. Robey started all 11 games as a sophomore last season and recorded 41 tackles with a team-leading six pass breakups. Though he started every game, it was an unfulfilling season for Robey in that nagging hamstring injuries kept him from breaking through in earnest.

“It was very frustrating,” said Robey of the injuries. “I just have to make sure I stay in the training room and tend to my body and keep it healthy.”

Rhule could not agree more.

“I try to teach guys that staying healthy is a year-long, around-the-clock commitment to your body,” he said. “Anthony has done that this off-season from what I have seen. He has to show us he is going to be physical and play the way we want. In my position, you are counting on guys that started here last year and I am expecting them to play better so we can move forward.”

While he has demonstrated good speed and good coverage skills, Robey said he is using this spring to work on technique with the goal of heading into fall camp feeling good about the progress he has made.

Little polishing is needed with Robey when it comes to the classroom. The criminal justice major was a 2012 Big East All-Academic Team honoree. It is a form of recognition that means much more than another line of text in his growing bio at Temple.

“It was a very proud moment and my parents are very happy for me,” said Robey, who was an honors student at Norristown. “It’s not just that I can play football, but also embrace the books.”

Robey, like virtually all of his teammates, is embracing an invigorating atmosphere under a new coach. There is no doubt things have a different feel to them at Edberg-Olson Hall this spring.

“We all like and we all agree with the program (Rhule) has implemented,” he said. “We’re all behind him 100 percent. We need to get back to being Temple tough like when Al Golden was here. It was about everybody running to the football and everybody hitting.”

Another cornerback from Norristown High that is working hard toward having an impact is Brandon Shippen. Though he was one of 14 Owls that saw action as true freshmen last season, Shippen participated in only two games. After being a star on the football field at Norristown, his lack of playing time in his first year in college was a difficult, but constructive experience.

“It has humbled me because now I am a little fish in the big city,” said Shippen, who like Robey was a track star at Norristown. “It makes me want to work hard in the classroom and on the football field. I have matured a lot from just being at the college level and it has been a great all-around experience for me at Temple.”

Shippen enjoys being a Temple teammate of Robey’s and refers to them as being brothers on the field. Getting on the field more frequently in 2013 when it matters most is what Shippen is focused on.

“My goal is to compete every day, become a better corner and hopefully I can become a starter,” he said.

Whether the hopes of spring become the realities of autumn is something that will play itself out over time. However, it is such a can-do spirit that is blossoming under Rhule.